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Isolated French orchestra's remote Bolero rendition hits right note

TORONTO --
Despite a national lockdown, dozens of members of a French orchestra came together to put on a special remote performance.

The National Orchestra of France weaved together a performance of Maurice Ravel’s “Bolero,” with 48 members playing their respective parts from their own homes.

A video of the performance starts with just three members playing: a cellist, a violinist and a percussionist. Eventually more and more members join, including brass and woodwind instruments, until dozens are seen playing together at one time.

Kettle drummer Didier Benetti sent all the players their scores via email, along with an audio track that they could listen to through headphones.

Benetti said technology allowed them to do what they love, which proved to be “therapeutic.”

“The orchestra wanted to make this video, first of all to keep in touch with all the public, because they can’t come in the concert hall,” he told The Associated Press. “And the message, I think is, ‘We are all together.”